International Humanitarian Law in Urban Warfare

Urban environments have increasingly been at the forefront of a number of armed conflicts. This should come as no surprise, since an urban setting has the capability of producing a number of advantages for the defending side by negating any numerical or mechanical advantage the opposing force may have. In addition, cities make it easier for combatants to hide and blend in with the civilian population and conduct irregular military activities. While this might constitute an advantage for the conduct of military operations, it means that civilians could become entrenched in a combat situation. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that all sides of a conflict maintain the utmost regard for international humanitarian law. In line with the current conflict in Ukraine, this contribution will focus on the scope of international humanitarian law in an international armed conflict, between two or more internationally recognised States. As such, this InfoFlash aims to provide a general overview of three of the main principles which are of special interest in an urban environment: the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.

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Legal Uncertainty Around the use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems in International Armed Conflicts

Autonomous weapons systems incarnate one of the most debated evolution in warfare. War is based upon a simple negative definition of a lawful targets and the conduct of hostilities. Hence, only an authorised party can legally kill another according to the jus in bello. However, with the development of new technologies, legal questions arose around the use of lethal autonomous weapons systems in international or non-international conflicts.

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Read more about the article The Use Of Military Drones: The Impact On Land Forces And Legal Implications
Wikipedia

The Use Of Military Drones: The Impact On Land Forces And Legal Implications

Military drones have come to revolutionise warfare. They are roving on land, streaking through the skies, and diving under the seas. Since their creation, more than fifty years ago, drones have constantly evolved to the present, becoming one of the main artificial intelligence (AI) weapons, integrated into military forces throughout the world. Whilst drones exist in all domains; aerial drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - UAVs) are clearly the media superstars. However, a whole ecosystem of ground-based drones or Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) is evolving at an equally fervid pace. This study will focus on UGVs (within the concept of “drone” hereafter), their implementation in land forces in tandem with UAVs and will discuss the legal issues they present within the European Union (EU) legal framework.

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Read more about the article The European Arrest Warrant Figure in The Field of Terrorism
Sora Shimazaki

The European Arrest Warrant Figure in The Field of Terrorism

The first measures to counter terrorism were adopted in the 1960s and 1970s to deal with the first attacks that Europe suffered during that period, which led the first nine countries of the former European Economic Community (ECC) to become aware of their individual vulnerability to the new risks. However, it was the terrorist attacks of the 11th of September 2001 which triggered a collective reaction that led to the approval in a few days of the measures that had been blocked for years. This incident promoted the creation of a new legal framework to strengthen international cooperation in criminal matters within the European Union (EU). As a consequence, on the 13th of June 2002, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision on the European Arrest Warrants (EAW) and the surrender procedures between Member States which entered into force in 2004.

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